


How It Used to Be

by TheFinalOtp



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Broken Team, Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Unreliable Narrator, not team Cap friendly, not wanda maximoff friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26878123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFinalOtp/pseuds/TheFinalOtp
Summary: Just 2207 words of Steve Rogers feeling entitled. Not too much bashing but definitely Team Iron Man, so proceed with caution.
Comments: 24
Kudos: 514





	How It Used to Be

The jet landed silently next to the Compound and Steve felt the knot in his chest dissolve at the sight of his house. Beside him, Bucky looked tense, eyes darting around and metal hand in a fist. Steve patted his arm reasurringly.

"We're home, you're safe."

Bucky relaxed just a tiny bit under Steve's hand, and Steve counted it as a win. Bucky hadn't wanted to return with them, and it had taken a lot of pleading and convincing to get him to give in. Steve was sure that he would be the safest with his closest friend while he adjusted to be _Bucky_ again. He knew Bucky better than anyone else, and would be there to remind him who he was, who he used to be.

The pilot opened the door with a button and offered no goodbye as the Avengers left the jet. Steve always thought that Dora Milaje needed to learn how diplomacy worked and that they needed to be polite. Nevertheless, he urged the team off and didn't say a word, glad to leave anything Wakanda related behind.

There was no one to welcome them, and the Compound was eerily quiet. Steve's brows furrowed with worry. Had something happened? Where was Tony?

"FRIDAY, why isn't there anyone? Where's Tony? Vision?" asked Natasha.

"None of the Avengers are available at the moment, considering it's 2.47 a.m.," replied the AI with a hint of condensation in her voice. "You will have a meeting at 7 a.m. Till then, you will stay in your rooms to which I'll be escorting you." It didn't sound like that was a suggestion.

"It's fine, we know where our rooms are," Clint said dismissingly.

"You don't have your old rooms," the AI said icily. "Please proceed to the corridor on your right, I will tell you where to go."

They exchanged glances for a second. "Come on, let's go," Sam muttered at last. "We'll have an early morning."

*

Normally, Steve preferred to be up before the sun. However, when FRIDAY woke him at 6.30 that morning he felt sluggish. On the other end of the room, Bucky was rising out of his own bed. Last night, FRIDAY had informed them that they were roomed together so Bucky could adjust easier. She then had proceeded to delicately ask if they would prefer one queen sized bed instead of two twins. Steve had blushed furiously.

They got ready in silence. Bucky was visibly nervous and Steve couldn't help but feel the same way. In 20 minutes, he would see Tony again for the first time in over a year. Plus, he wanted to see how the new recruitements would work with the original team. They would be a large group if they were to all work in the field, and Steve wanted to make sure they would all follow his commands.

By the time they made it to the conference room five minutes early, the room was half full. Appearently, even the half time Avengers were called in for the important meeting. Steve recognised the group called the Defenders all huddled together in a corner, laughing at something the devil guy was saying. Rhodes and Bruce were nursing piping beverages while talking in hushed voices. The Spider kid and a blond boy (Harvey? Steve could only remember that he was training to be the new Iron Man.) were watching something on a sleek Stark phone. Captain Marvel and Thor were talking animatedly, very awake despite the early hour.

The room fell into a hush as Steve and Bucky entered. The kids made a beeline towards the table, Spiderman sitting to the head of the table as the other perched on the armrest. Steve considered making them move, since that seat was reserved to the leader, but he didn't think creating tension at the first encounter was smart. They sat down next to each other. Bucky seemed to be analyzing everyone in the room, but he looked calm. Steve let out a relieved breath.

Soon, as the rest of his team and another guy (wizard - Doctor something? Steve really needed to learn their names quickly if he wanted to be able to give direct commands.) filled the room, two seats remained empty across Bucky and Steve. Steve hoped Tony would sit across him.

However, when the man himself made his appearence, the boys got up and sat across the super soldiers, the blond flashing a shark-like grin to them. Tony settled to the head of the table. He looked healthy, even if a bit older with salt and pepper hair and new creases on his face. He had gained some needed weight and the alcohol induced dullness of his eyes were replaced with a spark.

"Thank you all for coming. As you know, Mr. Rogers and his team made their return earlier this morning. We're here to answer any questions you or the newcomers might have. Shall we begin?"

A murmur of agreement rose from the Avengers.

"Okay, has the newcomers read the packages they were given in Wakanda? They were supposed to introduce you to our new system."

Steve had meant to read it, but he had never gotten around to it. He had been too busy with making arrangements about their return. Surely Tony could explain it himself. He wasn't really surprised when no hands came up in the air.

Tony looked like he wanted to groan but settled for a brief sigh. "Okay, next time you show up to a meeting about a document, try to read it beforehand. Captain Denvers, if you could be so kind..."

The woman sitting on Tony's right gave the man a soft smile before turning her cold gaze upon Steve's team. "We work in two teams, led by me and Colonel Rhodes. You will be placed into one of our teams according to your skill set. That's a brief summary so I suggest you read the packages to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Questions?"

"But I always lead the team," Steve objected before he could help it.

"Not anymore," replied Rhodes curtly. He didn't even look in their direction, like he couldn't stand them. Something similar to anger stirred in Steve's gut. He shut his open mouth with a click of teeth.

"Um, Captain?" Spiderman spoke with a clear respect in his voice that gave Steve a pleasant surprise - till he looked up and realised he wasn't the one being addressed, Danvers was. "Some of us keep out civilian identites hidden like me or Mr. Daredevil. Till now, we could trust the team with them, but is it safe to be out of our costumes now that..."

"Well, the Accords state that any member blowing off another's secret identity would face repercussions."

"You can trust us son," Steve assured. The boy hummed noncommittally.

"Mr. Stark, sir?"

"Don't do a thing you aren't comfortable with, kiddo." The genius seemed pretty serious, a sight Steve wasn't well acquainted with. He hoped the year they spent apart had helped Tony find some inner balance and maturity.

"Can we request to not be put into the same team as another person?" asked the only woman of the Defenders. Her eyes pierced through Wanda and her hand gripped her armrest. Steve wondered what her problem was.

"If your performance on the field would be affected by said person's presence, then arrangements could be made," Rhodes replied. "Come talk to me and Captain Denvers after the meeting, we'll figure something out."

"I don't think that's wise," Steve interrupted. "We should be able to work as a team. We can't let prejudices affect us."

Several people opened their mouths to speak at the same time, but it was the woman who responded.

"Okay, let me rephrase. If the witch comes near me or any of my teammates with her mind-whammy tricks, I'll reach down her throat and rip her spine out. Is that clear?"

Protests rose out of Steve's team, including Steve himself. The others responded, and the whole thing turned into a shouting match in a matter of seconds.

"Enough!"

Tony's voice cut through theirs. His lips were turned down in a frown.

"No threatening teammates, and no disrespect for others' requests. Ms. Maximoff will be trained in Kamar-Taj before she can be active on the field anyway. And before you ask, yes, it's necessary, she has no proper training. Any other questions?"

Nobody raised their hand, and Tony dismissed the meeting. Steve saw the wizard approach Wanda, probably to talk about her training, and hoped she would be able to defend herself if necessary.

He patted Bucky on the arm. He needed to talk to Tony, but first he wanted to make sure his best friend was settled in comfortably.

*

It turned out that right after that meeting, Tony had left the country for SI related business. When Steve asked to Denvers when he would return, he received a glare and got ignored. He tried not to feel frustrated. Tony always ignored his company, surely he had taken this trip to avoid Steve. Maybe he wasn't even on a business trip, maybe he was just hiding in one of his many houses.

Sam and Scott had returned to live at their own places after the meeting despite Steve saying that they needed unity now more than ever. "I missed my daughter, man," Scott had said, "I don't think her mom will let me near her ever again, but I need to try." Sam had claimed that he had bitten off more than he could chew and that he wanted to stay away from all superhero related things as much as he could. Clint had been served divorce papers and a restriction order for his whole family and refused to leave his room now. Wanda had been taken to Kamar-Taj for training. It all happened in just one day.

Steve wasn't stupid. He could see that his team had been ripped apart. He had only Natasha and Bucky left by his side before he could blink. It all was escalating so fastly, and Steve couldn't see any other way out but to talk to Tony and mend the bridge between them. He knew he could undo the damage done to the Avengers.

"FRIDAY, I need to talk to Tony," he said on his second morning at the Compound.

"Boss is not in the United States at the moment, as I stated before."

"Well, can you call him?"

"Boss is not available at the moment."

"Then tell him to call me as soon as he can," Steve yelled, frustrated.

The AI didn't reply.

He sighed, rubbing his face. The common kitchen was thankfully empty. Steve still couldn't believe they didn't get their own suites. He understood that the Avengers were more populated and needed more space right now, but taking away basic necessities seemed exaggerated.

He made himself and Bucky a cheese omelette and bacon, grabbing a loaf of bread and two cups of coffee on his way out. Surely he could talk to Tony at some point and everything would be better.

(FRIDAY watched the man depart with amusement. She knew that none of the Rouges hadn't read their packages and were unaware that they would be charged for food as well as electricity and water now. She made a mental note to record Rogers' reaction when he received his bill at the end of the month and send it to Colonel Rhodes.)

*

It took another week till Steve saw Tony again. He was talking on the phone in fluent French as he made himself coffee. Steve leaned against the counter, politely waiting for Tony's call to end. The billionaire didn't seem to notice him though; he sipped his coffee as he listened to the other side, nodding occasionally as though he had forgotten he was on an audio call. The motion was so Tony that it nearly made Steve smile. Despite all, he had missed the man.

The call ended when Tony touched his earpiece. He nodded in Steve's direction as he strolled past him.

"Tony, I was actually hoping I could talk to you."

"Well, sorry to dissapoint but I'm extremely busy at the moment."

"Could you just spare five minutes? It's important."

"Sorry, no can do. See you never, hopefully."

Steve grabbed his arm, making coffee splash and spill a little on the expensive looking suit. Tony's eyes flickered where Steve's hand trapped his wrist.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." Tony's voice were as cold as his eyes.

"Just stop being childish and listen to me for five minutes!"

Before he could blink, a repulsor was making that familiar charging voice in front of his face. Steve finally let go, staggering back a few steps.

"Don't touch me ever again Rogers. Don't come near me. I'm done with you, with all of you. Oh, and don't forget you're in my building, surrounded by my weapons. I could wipe your existence off the world in a second if I wanted to. Now, I have a meeting I need to get to. Good talk."

With that, Tony walked away, leaving Steve dumbfounded.

What would it take for things to go back to how it used to be?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I hope you enjoyed the fic! I'm not a native speaker and this work is un-betaed, so excuse any mistakes. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


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